Jacquard compensating means



Oct. 15, 1946. ROBlNSON I Re 2Z,804

' JAGQUARD COMPENSATING MEAN;

Original Filed June 26, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l JACQUARD INI ENTOR. JoA/A s Roam/501v A TTORIVEY' Original Filed June 26, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f -l 3/ 22 Q INVENTOR.

Jon/As Poem 501V 1946. J. ROBINSON Re 22,804

JACQUARD COMPENSATING MEANS Original Filed June 26, 1942 4 Sheets-Shed 3 INVENTOR. Jams Roam/$0M A TTORNCV Oct. 15, 1946.

J. ROBINSON JACQUARD COMPENSATING MEANS Original Filed June 26, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR, Jon/As 7Po3/Nso/v- A TTo/PNEK Reissued Oct. 15, 1946 22,804: JACQUARD OOMPENSATING MEANS Jonas Robinson, Clarke Summit, I'a.

Original No. 2,386,574, dated October .9, 1945, Se-H rial No. 448,527, June 26,1942.- Application :for reissue December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,499

10 Claims.

This invention relates to pattern-controllin means and refers more particularly to means connecting a Jacquard with heddles, jacks, pickers or other thread-controlling elements of a loom or textile machine.

As is well known, J acquards are utilized for the selective operation of heddles carrying the Warpthreads in the case of a loom or the corresponding jacks or pickers in case of a curtain machine or Nottingham lace machine, to determine the pattern of fabric produced on the loom or machine. For that purpose, the heddles r jacks are all individually connected by .a series of strings or cords with. the lifters, hooks or needles of the Jacquard. The number of strings is equal to that of the heddles or jacks and is quite great. The J acquard is mounted, of necessity, high above the loom or machine frame, the length of the strings Or cords extending between the Jacquard and the heddles or jacks being often from 16 to 25 feet.

It was found that these Very ,long strings and cords are affected to a great extent by variable atmospheric conditions.

.quard will not result in the withdrawal of, a jack or heddle, or a string may contract so much that the jack or heddle will remain withdrawn despite the operations of the J acquard. Constant attention and frequent adjustments are necessary to ensure good work being produced.

It is among the important objects of the present invention to provide a device automatically compensating for the extension or contraction of In accomp'lishing the objects of the present invention it was found desirable to insert into the length of each connecting string and fairly close to the loom or machine an element which is capable of carrying out a. movement which is different from the movement of the string actu- A string may extend to such extent that the operation of the ,Jac-

. 2 ated by the Jacquard, the string movement and said dilrerent movement of the element being so combined and/or correlated that as soon asaction is transmitted by the Jacquard, the element Will be able tomanipulate its jack or heddle in the required manner irrespective of any extensions or contractions of the string.

According to some of the preferred embodiments of the inventive idea, the element, which may have the form of aplate, may carry out a pulling movement, as well as a Swinging move.- ment. The swinging movement may be produced by an external force and may be transmitted to the jack or heddle; in that case the pulling move.-

ment is the one received by the element from the string. On the other hand, the swinging movement may be caused by a guide forming a part of the plate and may constitute a component of the string movement, while another component is transmitted by the plate to the jack or ing the use of pattern-controlling means which are constructed in accordance with the present invention, in a Nottingham lace curtain machine.

Figure 2 is a partial top view along the line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a compensating plate in side elevation.

- Figure 4 is a diagrammatic top view of a part of the Nottingham lace machine, illustrating the operating of the jacks.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a fabric made on the Nottingham lace curtain machine.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of .a somewhat different compensating plate.

Figure 'l is a diagrammatic side view illustrating the'combination of 2. Nottingham lace cur.- tain machine with compensating or equalizing means of a different type.

Figure 8 is a section showing on a larger scale the compensating means illustrated in Figure '7.

Figure 9 is similar to Figure 8 and shows the compensating means in a different position.

Figure is a top view of the compensating means.

Figure 11 shows a differently constructed compensating device which is .actuated by two Jacquards.

Figure 12 shows the compensating device of Figure 11 when it is diiferently adjusted.

Figure 13 is a top view of the compensating device shown in Figure 12.

Figure l of the drawings illustrates diagrammatically a Nottingham lace curtain machine I5, 3, Jacquard I5 and a compensating or equalizing device II.

While Nottingham lace curtain machines are shown in the drawings in conjunction with the compensating devices, such devices may be conveniently used with any other type of textile machine, such as a loom or a curtain machine of any type.

The Nottingham lace curtain machine I5 is of standard construction and is shown merely in the form of a diagram in Figures 1 and '7.

The machine comprises carriages I8 carrying disc-like bobbins I9. Bobbins I9 carry tying threads 28 (Fig. 5) and are thrown between warp threads 2| and spool or patterning threads 22. Warp threads 2| extend through uniformly spaced openings of a warp bar or guide bar 23, while spool threads 22 extend through similar openings of a spool bar or guide bar 24. Jacks 25 are carried by a jack bar 26 and are adapted to project between a pair of warp and spool threads (Fig. 4). Each jack 25 is provided with a curved portion 21 to which an end of a string 28 is attached.

In prior art, strings 28 extended over sley bars 29 (Fig. 7) directly to a Jacquard I5. In operation, bobbins 9 reciprocate in the direction of the arrow 30 (Fig. 1) by being thrown between the separated threads, while the bars 23 and 24 reciprocate in the direction of their lengths. The jack bar 26 carries out a reciprocatory turning movement and moves the jacks 25 to the withdrawn position shown by broken lines in Figures 1 and 7. At that time some of the needles of the Jacquard I6 are operated.

As already stated, in prior art the strings 28 were directly actuated by the Jacquard needles, which pulled them taut. Therefore, when the jack bar 23 moved back to the normal position indicated by full lines in the drawings, some of the resilient jacks 25 were maintained in the withdrawn broken-line position by their taut strings 28, and remained out of engagement with the threads 2| and 22 during the movement of the bars 23 and 24, until the Jacquard needles released the strings and the resilient jackets sprang back to their normal position.

The pattern of a fabric 3| (Figure 5) depends upon the positions of the jacks 25 in relation to the threads 2| and 22, said positions being determined by the needles of the Jacquard I6 and the strings 28 operated thereby. As indicated in Figure -4, strings 28 may maintain the jacks 25 in a full lift position, or a half-lift position in which the tip of a jack is located between the two bars.

The described operation of a Nottingham lace curtain machine is well known and does not constitute a part of the present invention which is concerned with means transmitting the movement of the needles of a Jacquard I6 through the strings 28 for the purpose of maintaining some of the jacks 25 in the withdrawn positions.

As already stated, the strings between the 4 Jacquard and the packs may be as long as or feet, while the full path of movement of the upper end of a, jack for a full lift is about one inch. It is apparent that variations in atmospheric humidity will cause the strings to contract or expand. If the strings contract too much, they may prevent the jacks from assuming their normal forward position, so that the jacks willremain in the half lift or full lift positions despite the release of the strings by the needles of the Jacquard. On the other hand, if the strings expand too much, a jack may be returned to a half lift or forward position despite the movement of the corresponding needle of the Jacquard to the full lift position.

In accordance with the present invention, the expansion and contraction of the strings may be compensated by a compensator or equalizer I1 (Figures 1, 2 and 3).

The compensator I'I comprises a plurality of plates 33, the number of the plates being equal to that of the jacks. Each plate 33 is attached by a separate string 38 to a separate jack 25. The plates 33 extend. in vertical rowsand are separated from each other by partitions 34 which are attached to a wall 35. The strings 28 are attached to cars 33 situated at the bottom of the plates 33. The forward edge of the plate 33, which faces the machine I5, consists of a vertical bottom portion 5|] and an upper vertical portion 5| joined by a horizontal portion 52, the plate being wider at the bottom than at the top.

Each plate 33 is connected at 37 by a separate string I28 with a separate actuating needle (not shown) of the Jacquard I6. The strings I28 extend upwardly and are very long, while the strings 28 are quite short and extend substantially horizontally.

It is thus apparent that according to the present invention, the single string of prior art constructions is separated close to the textile machine into two strings 28 and I28 and a compensating plate is connected to both strings. Thus the pulling force is separated into two smaller p ing forces.

The Jacquard needle exerts an upward pull upon the string I28 and the plate 33 connected therewith. When the string I28 is of normal length, the extent of the upward movement of the plate 33 is represented by the distance between the lines 38 and 38in Figure 3. As already stated, this upward movement of the string I28 and of the plate 33 is caused by a Jacquard needle when for pattern purposes the corre sponding jack 25 should be retained in the rearward or lift position.

The upward movement of a plate 33 is transmitted to the corresponding string 28 by an oscillatory mechanism comprising an elongated shogging bar 48 which is carried by levers 4| mounted upon a pivot 42. The levers 4| carry cam followers 43 engaging cam 44 which are rotatable along with a driving shaft 45 and which are provided with circular surfaces 46 and pro: jections 41. Springs 48 maintain the cam followers 43 in engagement with the cams 44.

It is apparent that when a projection 41 engages the cam follower 43, the lever 4| is swung toward the plate 33. As soon as the projection 41 is moved beyond the cam follower, the spring 48 pulls back the lever 4|, so that the lever 4| and the bar 40 connected therewith carry out an oscillatory or swinging movement.

The length of movement of the bar 4|] depends upon the size of the projections 41, and

the latter are so dimensioned, that when a plate 33His .in its lower-most position of rest, the tip 53 of the bar 48 moves not far from the line' 38 of Figure 3 and in its extreme forward position is situated beyond an extension of the line :58 but at a distance from the edge 5 I When a plate 33 is pulled upwardly by .a string I28, the tip 53 of the bar 40 will move in the vicinity of the line 39 of Figure 3 and will strike the plate 33 at about the point 54 of the edge 58, since the edge 58 is further forward than the edge 5|.

The bar 40 will swing the plate 33 and at first one edge of the plate 33 will engage the wall 35, whereupon the plate 33 will be pressed in its entirety against the wall 35. Obviously, the string 28 will be stretched taut during this movement of the plate .33 and if at that time the jack bar 26 swings forward, the string 28 will retain its jack in the withdrawn position.

The position of the cam 44 :and the speed of its rotation are so selected that the time interval during which the bar exerts it pressure against the edge 58 of a plate 33 coincides approximately with the time period during which the corresponding needle of the Jacquard I6 exerts it pulling force upon the string I28, these time periods being suflicient to maintain the jack 25 out of engagement with the threads 2] and 22 during a back-and-forth movement of the bars 23 and '24.

If atmospheric conditions or other circumstances cause an expansion or extension of the long string I28, then this string will be more slack between the Jacquard I6 and the plate 33, and the plate 33 will hang lower. Then the point of contact between the tip 53 of the bar 40 and the edge of the plate 33 in the full lift position of the plate will be shifted upwardly from the normal location 54 and toward the edge 52. However, so long as the tip 53 can strike the edge 50, the expansion of the string I28 will not influence the action of the plate 33' upon the string 28 and the jack connected therewith.

If the string I28 is contracted by atmospheric conditions, the plate 33 will move upwardly, but its operation will not be affected so long as the tip 53 of the bar 48 can swing above the edge 52 in the non-litfing position of the plate.

Figure 6 shows a plate I33 which may be used to maintain the jack connected thereto not only in the non-lifting and full lift positions, but in the half lift position as well. For that purpose, the front edge of the plate I 33 has three vertical portions 58, 63 and Bi and two horizontal portions .62 and 64. The jack remains in the nonlifting forward position so long as the shogging bar moves above the horizontal edge 54. The jack is maintained in a half lift position when the plate is somewhat moved by the shogging bar after the bar engages the edge 63. The jack is maintained in its full lift position when the plate is moved to its full extent by the shogging bar which engages the edge 68 of the plate.

It is apparent that the string I28 .may expand or contract within wide limits without interfering with the action of th plate I33.

It was found that normal atmospheric variations may cause a variation of up to one inch in the length of a spring I28, the operative extent of which may range between 1-6 and 20 feet. The plates .33 and I33 must be constructed so as to be able to compensate for this variation.

Figures '7 to 10 show a different compensating device I I1 connected to strings 28 and I 28 which extend between a Nottingham lace machine I5 .and a Jacquard I6. The compensating device I I! includes a plurality of plates I0, each plate being connected to separate strings 2B and I28 at II and I2, respectively (Fig. 8). Each plate has the form of a semi-circle with an upper straight edge I3 and a lower curved edge I4. A front slot I5 formed inthe plate extends at a fairly acute angle to the edge I3. A rear slot I5 consists of a rear part 1-! extending at about the same angle as the slot 15 and of a front part 18 forming a much greater angle with the edge I3 and having slightly curved edges.

Plates In hang upon two rods I9 and 88. The rod "19 is mounted in a support 8| and extends through the slots I5. The rod is mounted in a support 82 and extends through the slots 15. Wh-en the Jacquard I6 does not exert a pulling action upon a string I28, its plate III is situated in its non-lifting position shown in Figure 8. When :a Jacquard needle begins to pull the string I28 upwardly, the plate 18 will move along with it. The initial direction of movement of the plate I0 is determined by the direction of the slot 15 and of the rear part I! of the slot I6. When the rod 80 is located in the front part I8 of the slot I6, further pulling movement of the string I28 will cause the plate III to swing upwardly, until the end of the pulling movement is reached or until the rod 88 strikes the lower en of the front part I8 of the slot I6.

Thus the plate .8 also separates the pulling movement of the Jacquard needle into two movements, only one of which is transmitted to the string 28. The extent of the pulling movement to which th -string 28 is subjected, is shown in Figure 9 by the distance between the ear .II in its non-lifting position shown by broken lines, and its full lift position shown in full lines.

This device is preferably installed in conditions of maximum humidity in the plant, since it is :more suitable as a compensator for the eX- pansion or extension of the strings I28. When a string I28 expands, it will hang slack between the Jacquard I6 and the plate In, so that a part of th pulling movement of the Jacquard needle will be absorbed in pulling the string I28 taut. Only the remaining part of this pulling movement will be transmitted to the plate I8. However, so long as this remaining part is sufficient to shift the rod 88 into the forward part 18 of the slot Hi the string 28 will be actuated to the required extent.

Thus in this construction a diminution of the pulling movement upon the plate 18 resulting from an extension of its string I28, results in th diminution of the turning motion of the plate m while the operative movement of the plate It which is transmitted to the string 28, need not be afiected by the extension of the string I28.

A single may be connected with two separate J acquards by a construction shown in Figures 11 tom. Each jack string 28 is connected at 98 to a plate III! which is connected at .QI to a string 228 leading to one Jacquard, and which is connected at '92 to a string 328 leading to another Jacquard. The plates IIil are supported by two rods I19 and I88 extending through slots 88 and 94, respectively. Both slots .93 and 94 are substantially angular in form with a very wide apex portion, so as to enable proper movement of the plate i 2 5. The rod I19 is car ried by a support IBI, while the rod I8!) is ad-' justably held by a nut 91 in a horizontal slot 98 provided in a support [82.

The plate IIII is operated in substantially the 7 same manner as the plate 10, a. full lift position of the plate I10 being shown by broken lines in Figure 11, while the non-lifting position is shown in full lines. The distance between lines 95 and 96 in Figure 11 shows the length of the pulling movement upon the string 28.

This device may be conveniently set to provide for a full lift or a half lift of the jacks. In the non-lifting position shown in full lines in Figure ll, the rod I 80 is situated in the extreme rear end of the slot 98, provided in the support I82. Then both J acquards may operate at full lift. In order to provide for a half lift, the rod I80 is moved to a position substantially in the middle of the slot 98 of the support I82. Then the rod I80 will also extend approximately through the middle of the upper part of the slot 94. As stated in connectionwith plate 10, the relative movement between the upper part of the-slot 94 of the plate I10 and the rod I80 is that portion of the pulling movement of the string 320 which is transmitted to the string 28. When the rod I80 is close to the end of the upper part of the slot 94 in the non-lifting position of the plate I10, as shown in full lines in Figure 11, then the relative movement between the upper part of the slot 94 and the rod I80 will cover the entire length of this upper part, resulting in a full lift pulling movement upon the string 29, as indicated by the distance between the lines 95 and 95 in Figure 11.

On the other hand when the rod I80 is in the middle of the upper part of the slot 94 in the non-lifting position of the plate I10, as shown in Figure 12, then the relative movement between the upper part of the slot 94 and the rod I80 will extend over only one half of this upper part and the balance of the pulling movement of the Jacquard needle will be transformed into a turning movement of the plate I10. Thus the pulling movement transmitted by the plate I10 to the string 28 will be reduced to about one half, as designated by the distance between lines I95 and I96 in Figure 12.

It is apparent that according to this construction the adjustment from full lift to half lift and vice versa is carried out solely by the compensating device, so that a, needle of a Jacquard may continue to transmit a full lift pulling movement to its string, while only a half lift pulling movement is transmitted to the string which is attached to the jack.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the described methods and devices are subject to wide variation and modification, without departing from the scope or intent of the present invention; all of such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a textile machine of the type having a plurality of thread-actuating elements and a Jacquard having pulling elements for operating said thread-actuating elements, and elongated connecting elements having ends attached to said pulling elements; a device for compensating for the expansion and contraction of said connecting elements, said device comprising other connecting elements connected to said thread-actuating elements and means connecting the first-mentioned connecting elements with the second-mentioned connecting elements and substituting a pulling force transmitted by a pulling element to a first-mentioned connecting element by a smaller pulling force transmitted by a second-mentioned connecting element to a threadactuating element, and by another force which is not transmitted to the second-mentioned connecting element and which may compensate for an extension or contraction of the first-mentioned connecting elements.

'2. In a device connecting a pulling element of a Jacquard with a thread-actuating element of a textile machine, an elongated connecting element having one end connected to said pulling element, another connecting element having one end connected to said thread-actuating element, and means interposed between the other ends of the two connecting elements for substituting a pulling force transmitted by said pulling element to the first-mentioned connecting element by a maller. pulling force transmitted by the secondmentioned connecting element to said threadactuating element, and by another force which is not transmitted to the second-mentioned connecting element and which may compensate for an extension or contraction of the first-mentioned connecting elements. i

3. A device for compensating for the extension and contraction of an elongated connecting element extending between an actuating element and an actuated element, said device comprising means receiving a pulling force transmitted by said elongated connecting element from said actuating element, means transmitting a smaller pulling force tosaid actuated element, and means carrying out a movement which is not transmitted to said actuated element and which may compensate for an extension or contraction of said connecting element.

4. In combinationwith a textile machine of the type having a. plurality of thread-actuating elements and a Jacquard having pulling elements for operating said thread-actuating elements, and elongated connecting elements having ends attached to said pulling elements; a device for compensating for the expansion of said connecting elements, said device comprising a plurality of compensating elements connected to the other ends of said connecting elements, and other connecting elements connecting said compensating elements with said thread-actuating elements; said compensating elements comprising means separating a pulling movement transmitted by a pulling element and a first-mentioned connecting element into a smaller pulling movement transmitted to a second-mentioned connecting element, and another movement of a compensating element which is not transformed into a pulling movement of the second-mentioned connecting element.

5. In a device connecting a pulling element of a Jacquard with a thread-actuating element of a textile machine, an elongated connecting element having one end connected to said pulling element, another connecting element having one end connected to said thread-actuating element, and means interposed between the other ends of the two connecting elements for separating a pulling force transmitted by said pulling element to the first mentioned connecting element into a smaller pulling force transmitted by the second-mentioned connecting element to said threadactuating element, and into a movement Which is directed substantially at right angles to said smaller pulling force, which is not transmitted to the second-mentioned connecting element and which may compensate for an extension of the first-mentioned element. I

6. A device for compensating for the extension of an elongated connecting element extending between an actuating element and an actuated element, said device comprising a plate receiving a movement of the actuating element and the connecting element, and means actuated by said movement to transmit a force to said actuated element, said plate comprising means actuated by said movement to turn said plate, whereby said turning movement of the plate is not transmitted to the actuated element and may compensate for an extension of said connecting element.

'7. A device for compensating for the extension of an elongated connecting element extending between an actuating element and an actuated element, said device comprising another connecting element connected to the actuated element and a plate connected to the two connecting elements and having at least one slot portion formed therein for transforming a part of a pulling movement of said actuating element and the first-mentioned connecting element into a smaller pulling movement of the second-mentioned connecting element, and another slot portion formed therein for transforming the other part of the first-mentioned pulling movement into a turning movement of the plate, whereby said turning movement of the plate is not transmitted to the actuated element and may compensate for an extension of the first-mentioned connecting element.

8. In combination with a textile machine of the type having a plurality of thread-actuating elements and a Jacquard having pulling elements for operating said thread-actuating elements, and elongated connecting elements having ends attached to said pulling elements; a device for compensating for the expansion of said connecting elements, said device comprising a plurality of plates connected to the other ends of said connecting elements, and other connecting elements connecting said plates with said thread-actuating elements; each of said plates comprising a substantially straight slot formed therein and situated comparatively close to the second-mentioned connecting elements, and a substantially angular slot formed in the plate and situated comparatively close to the first-mentioned connecting elements, said angular slot having a part extendirr substantially parallel to the first-mentioned slot and another part extending approximately at a right angle to the direction of the second-mentioned connecting elements; and rods extending through said slots and carrying said plates.

9. In combination with a textile machine of the type having a plurality of thread-actuating elements and at least one Jacquard having pulling elements for operating said thread-actuating elements, and elongated connecting elements having ends attached to said pulling elements; a device for compensating for the expansion of said connecting elements, said device comprising a plurality of plates connected to the other ends of said connecting elements, and other connecting elements connecting said plates with said threadactuating elements; each of said plates comprising a forward slot formed therein and situated comparatively close to the second-mentioned connecting elements, and a rear slot formed in the plate and situated comparatively close to the first-mentioned connecting elements, at least said rear slot being angular and having a lower part extending approximately at a right angle to the direction of the second-mentioned connecting elements, and an upper part forming an angle with said lower part, said forward slot having a part extending substantially parallel to the upper part of said rear slot; a rod extending through said forward slots, another rod adapted to extend through the upper parts of the rear slots in the inoperative position of the plates, and means for adjusting the location of the second-mentioned rod in said upper parts in said inoperative position to vary the extent of movement transmitted to the thread-actuating elements.

10. In combination with a textile machine of the type having a plurality of thread-actuating elements and two Jacquards having pulling elements for operating said thread-actuating elements, and elongated connecting elements having ends attached to said pulling elements; a device for compensating for the expansion of said connecting elements; said device comprising a plurality of plates connected to the other ends of said connecting elements, each plate being connected to two connecting elements connected to pulling elements of different Jacquards, and other connecting elements connecting said plates with said thread-actuating elements, each of said plates comprising a forward slot and a rear slot formed therein, said slots being angular and hav ing upper parts enabling a movement of the plates in the direction of the second-mentioned connecting elements, and lower parts enabling a movement of the plates at a substantially right angle to the direction of the second-mentioned connecting elements, and rods extending through said slots and carrying said plates.

JONAS ROBINSON. 

